Notes

While recently at Mathoura I came across this Swamphen and it's young chicks. I took this photo while it was pulling out reeds and taking them to the nest. The Purple Swamphen is found around freshwater swamps, streams and marshes, and is common throughout eastern and northern Australia. The Swamphen diet includes the soft shoots of reeds and rushes and small animals, such as frogs and snails. However, it is a reputed egg stealer and will also eat ducklings when it can catch them!